Annunciator system



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. L. VOGT. ANNUNOIATOR. SYSTEM.

No. 513,352. Patented Jan. 23, 1894.

INVENTOH KW B Y /@wmr% A TTOHNE Y8 WITNESSES: W/Q/J) -e%% 'NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

A LONZO L. VOGT, OF DELAWARE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO-HIMSELF AND EDWIN G. LYBRAND, OF SAME PLACE.

ANNUNCIATORSYSTEIVI.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 513,352, dated January 23, 1894.

Application filed March 8, 1893- Serial No. 465,062. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALONZO L. Veer, of Delaware, in the county of Delaware and State of Ohio, have invented a new'and useful Improvement in Call Systems and Devices Therefor, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved system and device, for expediting communication between physicians and their patrons, and to insure accuracy in the reception and transmission of written messages and electric calls and signals, at and from a receiving station to the offices of the physicians; also to facilitate the filling and prompt delivery of prescriptions for patients, and to furnish means for the speedy transfer of packages between physicians and their patients.

It is customary for the residents and frequenters of a locality in a city or town, to make inquiries at drug stores to ascertain the whereabouts of physicians who are practitioners in the place, and at times to leave messages or vials for the doctor when next he calls at the pharmacy. This draft on the time and patience of the druggist and his assistants is usually endured cheerfully, as to neglect or refuse an accommodation of the kind might prove injurious to theinterests of the owner of the store. A want of method in the service indicated, frequently resultsin an unintentional neglect to deliver a message or a package to the party for Whom it was intended, which may be injurious to all concerned.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel, simple and effective system and apparatus for the reliable reception and transmission of messages and packages, at and.

from a drug store as a station, to any desired number of physicians offices, and furthermore, to facilitate audible intercommunlcation between a patron at the station and the tion, in which similar letters ofreference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective front view of a peculiarly constructed cabinet forming part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, on .the line 2-2 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating means for the transmission of electric signals between a main station and a point of delivery for audible signals, said diagram representing a unit of a series that collectively formthe improved system.

In the drawings, A represents a cabinet of a convenient size for efficient service, prefera and the bottom I) of the cabinet, are each divided into a series of pockets by the vertical walls 0, that are introduced and secured preferably at even distances apart; said pockets being provided for the reception of the drawers (1, which may be numbered in consecutive order as indicated in Fig. 1, and also be labeled with the names of physicians who are to receive messages and packages through this improved means. The space above the upper partition a is closed at the front by a removable wall 0, which is perforated in rows at proper intervals for the introduction of electrical push button devices of ordinary construction. I

As represented in Fig. 2, the push button devices that are each designed to afford means to close a normally open electric circuit,each consist of a push piece 6 in the form of a cylindrical rod loosely inserted through one of the spaced perforations in the wall C, before tact plate 5. I

An upright wall is secured within the upper compartment of the cabinet, at a proper distance from the wall C and parallel with it,

this wall 0 being serially perforated, each perforation therein being opposite a perforation in the wall 0 that is occupied by apush button shank, the reduced portions of the rods 6 loosely engaging with the perforations in thewall O, as indicated'in Fig. 2. Aspiral spring is located on the shank of each rod 6 occupying space thereon between the contactplate 6' and wall 0, the tension of the spring holding the plate e against an insulating washer that encircles the rod e, and is secured upon the inner surface of the wall 0 so as to prevent the plate from becoming improperly electrified. At a short distance each side of the shank of each push button device,

a conductor post 6 is projected from the innormal position.

, through the walls 0 and g, and preferably these wires are protected by any suitable insulating material. v .Itis designed in the installation of this system for intercommunication, to place an electric signal bell B at the drug store, and a like bell B at each physicians office which is to be included in said system, and as shown -diagrammatically in Fig. 3, the bell B- has one pole of its electro-magnet connected to one of the circuit wires h, h, of a push but: ton device in the cabinet A, the other wire of the open circuit being connected to the :remaining pole of the electro'magnet, so

that an operator by manipulating a push button on the cabinet A that bears a number 'which represents the office of a physician whose name is kept in a proper record, will ring the bell in said office, as a call for the physician to visit the drug store for a written message or a package.

It is one of the objects of the system to provide a singlepush button device such as had been described, or any other that may be preferred, for the office of each physician who is toreceive'calls from the drug store by means of the electrical apparatus, said push buttons having their circuit wires h, h extended from the pushbuttons at the doctors office to connect with the bell B at the drug store, all the wires thus led being in normally open circuit andconnected to a battery E, as indicated by one circuit in Fig. 8.

It will be evident that if a predetermined code of audible signals is used as a means of intercommunication, the manipulation of the pushbutton in any doctors office and the properpush button on the cabinet, will afford a reliable and instantaneous means for indicating to a party at either station what is wanted. As for instance, two distinct soundings of the bell in the physicians office may indicate that the doctor is wanted immediately by a patient in the neighborhood of the drug store, and a single responsive sounding of the bell at the drug store may represent Will come.

The push buttons and drawers are protected from being meddled with, by the provision of two light doors O 0 which are hinged to swing from opposite side edges of the cabinet Afsaid doors, that are of an area which will close the front of the cabinet when adjusted to effect this, being furnished with a lock or other convenient and safe means for securing them in a closed condition. On the inner surface of the door 0 a suitable number of filing hooks h aresecured' in rows evenly spaced apart, each hook being preferably numbered-and may also be labeled with a doctorsname for the reception of written messages, letters, or any other memoranda that -is to be delivered or communicated. to the physician indicated by the number or label. In a like manner, filing hooks 77. are arranged in spaced rows on the door 0 for the retention of reports as to the whereaboutsof all of the physicians that use the system, whereby reliable information may be'furnished to thoseapplying for it at the-drug store.

It is contemplated in carryinginto effect this improved systematic IHQthOdfOI infor- -mation of the public, that a competent messenger be placed in charge of the plantwho' will attend to the electric call bells, receive and file as well as deliverwritten messages,

andreceive and deliver packages to proper parties, and also make the round of the physicians offices periodically, to. obtain correct data as to the whereabouts of the entire'number of physicians, and register such memoranda in proper order. on the filing hooks .on the door 0 so as to be enabled to give instant and reliable information to parties: who desire the same.

- When the cabinet A is not in use, the doors O 0 being closed, an outer door D thatfolds upwardly is also'closed and locked, which will seal the entire device except the local electric bell B, which is placed at the front on top of the cabinet A, and when actuated by an operator at any physicians office on the route'the attendant will thus be notifiedthat an audible signal message is to be delivered.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-*- 1. In a system of the character described the cabinet provided with a series of labeled drawers, and having an apertured front wall thereabovc, an inner partition'having apertures registering with those in said front wall, insulating washers around the inner ends of the front wall openings, contacts on the inner side of the inner partition, push buttonssliding in the outer apertures and having reduced shanks extending through the inner apertures, contact plates on the push buttons between said insulating washers and inner contacts, springs coiled around the said shanks and pressing the plates against the washers and the electric circuit including the bells, substantially as set forth.

2. An apparatus for the reception and delivery of messages and packages between a main station and a series of sub-stations, comprising a cabinet containing a series of labeled push button devices, in open circuit with a series of electric bells at the substations, a signal receiving electric bell on the cabinet at Witnesses:

F. A. OWEN, CHARLES H. HAY. 

